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(No Model.)

W. L. TETB'R'.

PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING GRAIN. Y No. 262,504. Patented Aug. 8, 1882.v

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PROCESS OP AND APPARATUS POR CLEANING GRAIN. N0. 262,504. Patented Aug. 8, 1882.l

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UNTTED STATES PATENT Ormes.

lWILLIAM L. TETER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA., ASSIGNOR TO THE ECLIPSE IMPROVED WHEAT CLEANING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, N. J.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING GRAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,504, dated August 8, 1882.

Application filed October 7,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. TETER, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved 5 Process of and Apparatus for Cleaning Grain,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to an improved.

process for cleaning grain prior to its being ground, and in apparatus to accomplish said to process; and it consists in improvements fully set out in the following specification, shown in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figurel is a sectional ele- 15 vation of complete apparatus for carrying on my improved process. Fig. 2 isa sectional elevation of the finishing-machine. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the steaming and friction machine used in the rst part of my process. Fig. zo 4 is alongitudinal section ofone ofthe frictionslats used in the said machine. Fig. 5 is a crosssecton of same, showing the method ot' securing it to the revolving arms. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a portion ot' same. Fig. 7 shows 2 5 a grain of wheat in section before and after being cleaned by my improved process.

The grain to be treated is passed in the cold stateinto the steamer A, through which highlyheated steam is passed, heating the grain 3o throughout. This steamer A opens into a con veyer, B, provided with a feeding-screw, C, secured to a pipe or hollow axle, C', provided with small holes c, through which moist steam admitted by pipe C2 passes into the grain be- 3 5 ing fed bythe conveyer. The grain fed by the conveyer passes down a tube, D, to a second feeding-screw, D', which feeds the steamed grain into thc machine F. It' desired, the screw-conveyer C may feed the grain directly 4c into the machine F, thereby dispensing with the conveyer D'. The steamed grain passes through opening E into the wire-gauze cylinder H and upon the rotating wire-gauze cylinder H', which rotates with the shaft G, which 4 5 carries the spiders G', upon the extremities of the arms of which are secured with springing action thefriction-slats I and brushes I', which former rotate inclose proximity to the screen H and the latter continually brush it. The re- 5o volving screen-cylinder H' is designed to imfY which the slat I is secured to the arms G by y bolts I3, with springs I2 between to impart a springing action thereto. The fronts of these slats are rounded, and are provided with a great number of grooved or rounded beads, as shown, to give the greatest frictonal eifect when passing among the grain. The suction-fan F2 communicates with the interior of the cylinder H by tube F, through which it sucks off the loose coatings and moisture. In this attrition-machine the grain is fed in a heated condition throughout and moistened on its surface, and is here slowly dried by the exhaust-fan, and has its outer coating mostly removed. The internal heat of the berry, gradually coming to the surface, greatly aids in the removal of the outer coating. The grain, after being treated in the machine just described, passes by spout J through a heater or drier, K, in which K' is the steam tube and KZ-is the gage-tube. L is the steam-pipe, and L' the exhaust. The grain, after being dried in drier K, is conveyed by the elevator M or directly to the finishingmachine N. After passinginto the hopper N' from the spout M' the grain is passed into a chamber, O, and falls upon a screen, P, having a wooden rim, P', encircling it for the purpose of forming a rigid support for the screen upon the springs P3, and also to insure the discharge of the grain reaching the periphery by the spout P2. In this chamber and upon the screen P the brushes O', secured to the shaft S, rotate. The grain fed from the chamberO falls between the inverted conical screen It and brushes q upon the conical hub Q. The screen It is secured at the top to the sides of the frame, and is closed at the bottom by a wooden door, It', set upon springs R2 and adapted to vertical'springing action. The bottom, as well as the sides, of the hub Qis provided with brushes g, which brush the floor R'. The cleaned grain and the coatings pass out by opening r into the spout T to the elevator V, to be conveyed to the drier W.

The shaft S, carrying the brushes O and hub Q, is supported in a shoe, S', adapted to ver- IOO tical adjustment through the box S2. This shoe S' rests upon a rod or bar, S3, supported at one end to a bolt, S, and on the other by a screw-bolt, S5, both resting on springs S5, and the latter made adjustable by ahand-Wheel nut, S5. The shaft S is driven by a belt and pulley, Q', and rotates at the top a fan, U, which creates a suction from the spout T and machine N, carrying off the loose coatings by a pipe, T. The tube T connects the suction-fan U with the discharge-spout T, communicating with the opening in the door R ofthe machine N. y

The drier W may be of any ordinary construction; but that shown consists of an inner steam-case, W2, supported Within atube of Wiregauze, W', said case W2 being provided at the bottom with a steam-pipe, W2, and at the top with an exhaust-pipe, W4, and the gauze cylinderis also provided With an exhaust, 75. A current of hot air is constantly passing up the drier through pipe W5 and out, of W5 at the tcp. The cleaned grain, as it emerges from the drier, is perfectly White and entirely free from the usual brown-bran coating, and in this condition passes tothe burr-stones or rolls, or is in a condition to be made into cracked wheat, o. The grain, as it passes to the apparatus, is hard and has a brown coating, Y, as. shown at X of Fig. 7, and after the steaming process the coatings become separated from the berry, and when it passes into the machine F it is partly dried by suction from fan F2, and much of the loose coatings are removed by the frictionincident to the slats and brushes passing through it and rubbing it against the gauze cylinders H and H. The grain is then thoroughly dried and heated,and treated in machine N, where all ot' the coatings are entirely removed, as shown at Z in Fig. 7, and finally the cleaned grain is dried and fed to the grinding-mill.

The attrition-machine F is used to treat the grain in a moistened condition and removethe greater partof the coatings, While the finishing or polishing machine N is used to treat thepartly-cleaued grain in a dry and heated condition, and is adapted to subject the grain toarougher treatment to insure the removal of the last traces of the exterior coat-in g which have been loosened by the heating and steaming process.

Itis necessary to have the berry or grain thoroughly heated before moistenin g the outer coating; or it may be heated during the moistening of said coating. This internal heat at'-l terward aids in drying the graina feature which is absolutely necessary; and to insure the thorough drying ofthe grain before passing to the millstones I use the drier W. The decorticating processes have heretofore been failures, owing to the fact that it was impossible to thoroughly dry the cleaned grain when treated in the manner previously known.

In this application I do not claim' the specitic constructions of the attrition and polishing or finishing machines or the steamer, as they will form subject-matter ot' future applications.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described process for cleaning grain, whichconsists in first heating the grain, then steaming it to moisten its outer coating, then treatingthemoistened grain with cold-air currents and friction or attrition, and when cold reheating said grain and subjecting it to a second frictional treatment and air-currents, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The herein described process for cleaning grain, which consists in first heating the berry throughout and steaming the same, then subjecting said grain to lattrition and at the same time exhausting the loosened coatings and moisture, causing the internal heat to come to the surface of the berry during the attrition action, then reheating the grain, then subjecting it to a second attrition, and tinally subjecting said cleaned grain to dry heat before being ground, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A grain-cleaning apparatus which consists ot' a steaming device, in combination with a conveyer by Which the grain is fed from the steamer, an attrition and drying machine, F, a heater, K, through which the grain is passed to dry it, a brush or lnishing-machine, N, provided with suction-fan U and suctiontube T', opening into the discharge tube of said machine N, and a drier, W, through which the grain is passed, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM L. TETER.

Witnesses:

R. A. UAVIN, SAMUEL E. GAVIN.

IOO 

